Disappearing carriage for aircraft



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DISAPPEARING CARRIAGE FOR AIRCRAFT Filed Dec. 12. 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Egj 1934- H. c. A. POTEZ DISAPPEARING CARRIAGE FbR AIRCRAFT Filed Dec. 12, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet, 2

,zy. CUR/907% Patented Get. 30, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application December 12, 1932, Serial No. 646,901 In France December 21, 1931 Claims.

The military aircraft, and in particular the multi-seater machines, are equipped, for the purpose of aerial attack and defence, with an armament which provides for the firing in all azi- 5 m'uths, and to this end the arms are mounted upon pivoting brackets located above and below the main body of the aircraft.

When firing from a point below the aeroplane body, it is necessary, in order to obtain a wide 9 field of firing, to provide a support which projects in such manner that the distance between the arm and the bottom of the aeroplane body shall be sufficient to enable the gunner to fire even in the horizontal plane, the aeroplane flying in horizontal flight.

The present invention has for its object to provide an arrangement which provides for firing in all azimuths, and which comprises accordingly a can-iage located below the aeroplane body and connected therewith in such manner that it can be made. to partially disappear within the aeroplane, in which case it projects only to a slight extent with reference to the general outline of the aeroplane, thus offering but a slight resistance to forward travel.

Fig. 1 is a partiallongitudinal section of anaeroplane body showing a carriage according to so the invention, in the firing position.

Fig. 2 is the corresponding rear view. Figs. 3 and 4 are views similar to Figs. 1 and 2, respectively, showing the carriage in the disappearing position. Fig. 5 is a planview of the carriage.

In the form of construction herein represented, A is the main body of the aeroplane, which travels in the direction of the arrow F, and l is the carriage or nacelle which is disposed below an opening 13 in the main body and may consist of an assembly of sheet metal and angle-irons, and is bounded by a cylindrical surface whose directrix has a curved tapered shape at the rear end and whose generatrices are vertical. Its shape in elevation is tapered at the rear, and its lower rounded face 2forms the flooring of the car.

The bar is supported at its front end by two trunnions 3, which are pivotally mounted below the body A in suitable brackets 4,-whereby the car is rotatable adjacentthe front end about a horizontal axis a.a (Fig. 5).

Two upright arms 5 are engaged at their upper ends in forked brackets 6, attached to springs 7, whose upper ends are secured to the main body by means of brackets 8.

10 is a support, of a known type, for a machine-gun 11, or for any other arm; a plurality of such arms 11 may of course be provided.

Slotted sectors 9, forming guides, are preferably mounted in the main body and adapted to coact with bolts 12, extending through arms 5 and brackets 6, in order to limit the motion of the carriage, and, if necessary, in orderto secure the car in a given position.

The operation is as follows: The carriage is held in the withdrawn position '(Fig. 3') by the springs 7, whose tension somewhat exceeds the weight of the carriage without the gunner. The bolts 12 are then loosened, and under the weight of the gunner entering the carriage, the latter will turn about its trunnions 3 and will assume the position shown in Fig. 1, the movement of the carriage being limited by the sectors 9 in which the bolts 12 are slidable.

When the gunner leaves the carriage and mounts into the main body, the carriage will'rise automatically by the action of the springs '7, and it can be optionally held in place by the bolts 12.

Obviously, the springs 7 may be replaced by any other device, such as a cable and drum, a crank-shaft and rod, or the like.

The principal advantages of the said apparatus are as follows: The mechanism is of a simple construction, and is reliable in its operation, owing to the fact that the carriage is displaced bypivoting about an axis 11-0 with the minimum friction. The apparatus can be readily adapted to all types of aircraft, and the carriage will occupy but a small space within the main body; the field for vision and for, firing is now considerable, and all danger of accident when landing is eliminated, due to the disposition of the carriage, for should it strike against the ground, it would disappear within the main body. 0n the other hand, the apparatus oflers but little resistance to forward traveL.

Obviously, the invention is not limited to the form of construction herein described and represented, which is given solely by way of example, and chiefly the parts 5, 6, 7 and 9 may be located in the plane of symmetry b- -b of the. carriage, which latter will be then supported on the one hand by the two trunnions 3 and on the other hand by a single arm 5.

Having 'now described my invention, what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an aircraft, a main body, an opening in the lower face thereof, a lower small body arranged below said opening, a pivotal connection between said main and lower bodies, and resilient means connecting the bodies, whereby said carriage is retracted when empty within said main body through said opening and is caused to protrude from the lower face of said main body under the weight of a'passenger passing from said main body into said lower body, a ainst the action of said resilient means. I

'2. In an aircraft as claimed in claim 1, guide means .on said main body and guided means on said lower body for guiding and limiting the stroke on said lower body.

'3. In an aircraft as claimed in claim 1, means for adjustably securing said lower body in any desired position.

4. In an aircraft as claimed in claim 1, slotted sectors concentric with said pivotal connection, guided means coacting with said sectors and means associated with said guided means for adjustably securing said guided means in any desired position along said sectors, said sectors and guided means being respectively connected with said bodies.

5. An aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pivotal connection is arranged transversally with respect to the aircraft, at the front end of said lower body.

HENRY CHARLES ALEXANDRE POTEZ. 

